Destined Hearts Forbidden Love
by Tigresa89
Summary: My first fic. about Taki and Mitsurgi. Flames are welcomed. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Destined Hearts, Forbidden Love

**Destined Hearts, Forbidden Love**

**This is my first fanfiction by myself and of Soul Calibur. Please enjoy this story and I hope to update soon. Approximately +1,000 words.**

'_Thought'_

"Talking"

Raidon- Taki's father

Botan- Mitsurgi's father

Have you ever had that feeling were you know that what you are doing is wrong but it feels so right? Or that you were destined to be with someone but can not because of the way you live? If you had agreed to those questions then you are like me. See I am a ninja and everything I do is for my clan, but enough about me let's get to the real story.

_Ting, Ting, Ting. _The sound of clashing swords filled the air. Two young warriors face against each other in the middle of the courtyard: both tired and growing weak, but neither of them would show such weakness on their stone mask face. The female warrior began to circle her opponent once again with intense focus. Her katana gleamed in the sunlight as she readied to strike again. Her breathing slowed, her heart was hammering against her chest, and sweat gleamed against her smooth skin. She ran with her sword ready to strike. She jumped; her sword came down with deadly accuracy on her opponent. The metals of the swords clashed and sparks from scraping metal flew around their face; a smile slowly crept upon her opponent's face. Her eyes widen and she jumped back barely missing the dagger that he had pulled out of his sleeve. Taki smiled as she readied herself again for yet another strike. Suddenly she felt warmth run down her face; she touched the blood that ran down her face and brought it up to see it. _'Damn he is going to pay holy hell for this and more'. _Taki placed her sword beside her and readied for the final blow. She screamed as she ran towards the young man.

"Enough!" said a voice that rang through out the courtyard with a tremendous boom. Taki paused in mid run and looked at the source of the voice_._ It was none other than the head of her clan; her father Lord Raidon.

"Taki you need to be faster than your opponents not equal. Bend your knees more when you are about to jump," stated her father as he watch her every move. _'Great no matter how hard I try I will never gain his approval' _she thought.

"Taki, are you listening to me?" he asked as he approached her with his hand on his hilt of his sword.

"Yes father" Taki replied with her head bowed and her dark brown hair swayed with the wind. With her head still bowed she looked up to see her father standing over her with a strange expression on his face.

"Everyone you are dismissed, Taki come with me for a moment," he commanded. Soon the whole courtyard was empty and only Taki and her father remained in the center.

"Did I do something to upset you father?" she asked hesitantly unsure what to expect. Her father was Lord of her clan and village; what he says and does is law. Lord Raidon looked at his daughter and shook his head. Lord Raidon offered his arm to his daughter who accepted warily. They walked in silence through the village as fellow villagers bowed in respect to them. "Father what is on your mind?" Taki asked as they reached the top of the cliff that over looked their village just outside. Lord Raidon sighed and looked at his daughter and then looked back at the village.

"Taki, look out and tell me what do you see?"

Taki looked at her father in confusion and replied, "I see a magnificent village ruled by a just Lord." Lord Raidon chuckled softly to her answer and looked back out towards the village. "Father, what is going on? Why are you acting this way?"

Lord Raidon sighed, "I am growing weaker by the day, my child, and ever since your older brother, Kiyoshi, was killed in battle I have done everything to keep you in your training. One day, my beautiful Taki, I will leave this land to join my ancestors on the other side."

"Please father do not speak like that."

"Taki, whether you want to hear this or not, soon I will have to hand over my position as Lord to one of my generals and-"

"No, I will rule after you!"

"Taki, you are a woman and no woman can rule a clan. It is bad enough that I gave you a choice to either marry or train."

"Do you regret that decision, father?"

"No, I do not regret any decisions but sometimes I wonder what it would be like for you if you had chosen to be like a normal village girl."

"Father I know that sometimes you wish that I was a normal girl but I am not. I am your daughter and your only child so I am the heir to the great Shedo clan," Taki stated with venom slowly creeping into her voice.

"You may be the next in line but your husband will rule," Lord Raidon replied tersely to his daughter. Taki sighed and turned away from her closed her eyes, and began to take slow breathes. She needed to think of a way to prove to her father that she could rule the village just as well or even better than he had. Taki turned to her father and bowed down before him in complete submission.

"Father, give me a task to prove to you that I'm more than capable of ruling after you have left this world," she asked her father. Raidon gently held Taki's face and studied her with intense focus. _'She has her mother's eyes, her nose, smile, but she has my determination.'_ He thought as he lifted his daughter from the ground.

"Taki, my child, do you really want to do this?" he asked.

"Yes father, tell me what I must do," she asked cautiously.

"Bring me the head of the man known as Lord Botan; he is the leader of the infamous warriors of Edo. When you bring the head then I will allow you to rule over the clan." Lord Raidon stated to his daughter as brought her up off the ground. A dazzling smile graced Taki's lips as she jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck. Raidon hesitantly wrapped his arms around his daughter's waist. "I'm giving you a time limit of two weeks if you do not succeed in this quest then you will be forced to marry," he said calmly. Taki nodded her head and face the village once again. The scene was perfect. Her village was set against the mixture of purple, pink, and orange that painted the sky as the smell of cherry blossom filled her nose. The village was going to be hers to rule alone. Her and her father began to walk back to the village in complete silence. Just as they reached the gates of the village she stopped her father for one last question.

"May I ask who I will be marrying if I fail?" she asked.

"If you fail there will be a tournament held in our village for your hand in marriage. Now prepare yourself for tonight. I will announce to the village your decision and you will be presented with a few things that you will need for your journey," he stated with a small smile on his face.

**Thank you for reading. Flames are welcomed and if anyone wants to be my editor please contact me through email for anyone who is interested. R&R**


	2. Chapter 2

I would like to thank those who read my story and I will try to update as soon as possible

**I would like to thank those who read my story and I will try to update as soon as possible. I would also like to thank my friend John for editing the first chapter. I would also like to thank Not Jack Frost for editing this chapter. Please enjoy this chapter and review. Remember flames are welcomed. Approximately +1,400 words.**

**The Announcement**

_**Last time on Destined Hearts; Forbidden Love…**_ _**The village was going to be hers to rule alone. Her and her father began to walk back to the village in complete silence. Just as they reached the gates of the village she stopped her father for one last question.**_

_**"May I ask who I will be marrying if I fail?" she asked.**_

_**"If you fail there will be a tournament held in our village for your hand in marriage. Now prepare yourself for tonight. I will announce to the village your decision and you will be presented with a few things that you will need for your journey," he stated with a small smile on his face.**_

'_Thought_'

"Talking"

**Japanese words**

Standing alone in her room Taki recollected the conversation that she had earlier that day with her father. The very thought of another man ruling after her father was just outlandish as the thought of her marrying one of the old fools. Taki sighed and plopped down on her futon. She was exhausted mentally and emotionally with everything that was said that evening.

'_Kami, give me strength,' _she prayed as she lay still on her bed.

_Knock, Knock, Knock. _

Taki growled quietly as she stared at the door.

"Want do you want," she asked harshly.

A young servant slowly opened the door and entered with her head bowed low.

"F-f-forgive me Lady Taki, I did not mean to disturb you in your time of peace," the servant said gently as she bowed again waiting for Taki to say something.

Taki stood up, walked over to the servant and placed her hand on the girl's shoulder. The young girl looked up to see her mistress with a small smile on her face.

"It is alright. Now what is it that you were sent to me for?" Taki asked her.

The girl walked back to the door to retrieve the box that was intended for Taki. She sat in front of Taki, opened the box, and presented Taki with a beautiful kimono for the night. Taki took the kimono and held it up for her to see more visibly. The dress was magnificent. It was a silk blood red kimono; the collar and the trim on the sleeves were gold. The golden leaves and golden lotus flowers decorated the bottom half of the dress. The sash of the dress was also a very brilliant gold.

"It's so beautiful," Taki whispered to herself.

"It belonged to your mother. She was wearing this dress when my father announced that she was going to be my wife," Lord Raidon said startling his daughter. The elderly ruler strolled up to his daughter and placed a kiss softly on her forehead. "You look so much like your mother it's daunting," he said as he cradled Taki's face in between his hands.

A soft pink color of embarrassment rose on her face. Obviously Taki was not use to her father praising her front of anyone, even if it was a servant. Taking note of this Lord Raidon dismissed the young girl.

"Taki, are sure you want to do this?" Raidon inquired his daughter.

Taki nodded and gave her father a small smile. Raidon sighed and walked backed to the door.

"Hurry up, and get dress all of the villagers will be in the courtyard for the ceremony tonight," Raidon stated without looking at her. He motioned the servant back into the room to help dress Taki in the ceremonial outfit.

The courtyard was full villagers from every status just for the special announcement. From the poorest farmer to the richest general was there in attendance along with gifts. It was early in the night and the courtyard was weakly lit with a few torches. Suddenly the air was filled the thundering sounds of the **taiko** which announced the arrival of Lord Raidon, every one became silent and turned around to acknowledge him. As he made his way to the patio the crowd parted for him and bowed in respect. He was escorted by four soldiers dressed in all black; two in front of him and two in the back of him. When he arrived at the front of the courtyard he took his seat in between the lower lords of the village. The taiko drum started to thump once again and the new sound of the shamisen echoed through the air. Everyone turned their attention back to the main entrance of the courtyard and everyone gasped shock. There stood Taki in her mother's dress and her hair was in a bun with a golden hair ornament on the right side. Taki blushed uncontrollability as she walked to the front to sit next to her father on his right side.

"Thank you all for coming to tonight's ceremony. I would like to announce that my daughter has made her choice on what she wants to be. Her choice is to become Lord of the Shedo Clan when I die, and I support her decision. Now let the celebrations begin!" Lord Raidon declared loudly.

The crowd let out a load cheer and the music and the celebration began.

Taki was presented with a dark brown male horse, a messenger hawk, and a few new weapons. Her father presented her with a new suit of amour exactly like her old one, an all black amour along with a sword that had the kanji of the Shedo Clan. As the celebration began to die down Lord Ryo, a lower lord turned to Lord Raidon to speak.

"Forgive me, my lord, but she could not possible rule after you. Not only is she a woman but she is also weak," he said cautiously.

"If I am not mistaken Lord Ryo, I defeated your eldest son Ryoichi many times in the past with the result of him having a few bruises that adorned his body," Taki bit out harshly.

"Even so you are still a woman, and considered unfit to rule this village and be head of the Shedo Clan," he snarled back, rising out of his seat.

Taki took hold of her **kozuka, **ready to defend herself from any attacks. Lord Raidon stood up and placed himself between the two of them facing Lord Ryo first.

"I suggest that both of you remember where we are, and Lord Ryo I have made my decision. Everything is depends on my daughter's skills as a ninja. Now Taki go to your room and rest in two days you will be heading to Edo soon," Lord Raidon stated coldly to both of them.

Taki bowed and left the celebration early. As she came close to her room the hairs on the back of her neck stood up; someone was there. She stopped and a snarl formed on her lips as she turned around to confront the intruder. It was none other than Ryoichi, the eldest son of Lord Ryo and a constant pain in the ass.

"What the hell do you want now, Ryoichi?" Taki growled at him.

"I think you should show your future husband some respect," he replied as he closed the distant between them. He lifted his hand and placed a strand of Taki's hair behind her ear. He suddenly pulled Taki closer to him and assaulted her lips. Taki's lips were unresponsive to his but he did not care until he felt the cool metal of Taki's knife close to his manhood. He stopped his assault and looked at Taki through narrowed eyes. Taki's lips were pulled back into a vicious smile that made her look purely evil.

"The next time you touch me without my permission I will make sure that you will never have kids," she said slowly.

Ryoichi took a few steps back and bowed to her.

"I hope you know that I'm not the only one wishing for your failure on this mission, Taki. You are just a woman and a woman should deal with things that matter to women and not men." Ryoichi replied as he walked away.

_**Taiko- a large drum which sits edgewise on a stand and is struck with fat drumsticks. **_

_**Kozuka- a small knife. **_

**Thanks for reading!!**


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you all for reading I am starting school again so my updates will come as soon as possible

**Thank you all for reading I am starting school again so my updates will come as soon as possible, I'm not promising anything. **

"Talking"

'Thought'

_**Flashback**_

It was another beautiful midsummer day in Japan. The sky was clear without a single cloud in sight. There was a little breeze that made the cherry blossom trees dance in the sun. Yup, it was just another boring day.

'Damn, it's a nice day to fight and there is no one around worthy enough of my time,' the young warrior thought. He stopped, looked up to the azure sky and prayed silently.

'Kami, please send me someone worthy or maybe just a little fight.' Suddenly a scream, coming from the dense forest, interrupted his pray.

He silently thanked the gods above and ran towards the sound. He was unprepared for what he saw. There in the clearing was a beautiful young woman with large breasts in a simple black amour. She had one of the men pinned by his hand to the tree with a bo-shuriken and had several hira-shuriken embedded in his body. The second man that he saw was lying still, in a pool of blood, on the ground near the first. The third man was pinned against the tree with her ninjatō pressed against his throat, screaming and begging the young woman to spare his life.

"Please have mercy on me, I have a family at home to feed," the man cried. Mitsurugi watched the young woman, from behind a large tree, intently hoping to learn more about her.

"How dare you ask for mercy when you did not give it to the girl that you and your friends tried to violate! The only thing you shall receive a swift descend to hell!" she yelled as she held her ninjatō up ready to stab it into his body.

Suddenly, there was another man coming into the clearing with a rifle aimed for the woman. Just as the criminal was about to shoot, the female warrior swiftly turned around and hurled a _bo-shuriken_ into the man's chest.

'Ah, this girl is a shinobi no mono, and an exceptionally skilled one at that. I haven't seen a woman do this well; when she is finish I will challenge her to a fight,' Mitsurugi thought as he watched her kill of the other man.

**OoOoOo**

Taki slowly began to clean off her ninjatō when she had felt another presence near her. She had felt before she had killed the third man.

'I really do not want to kill another person today,' she thought as she absentmindedly threw a few bo-shuriken pass the tree that the man hid behind.

"I know you that you there, whoever you are, come out or I'll come after you," she said.

The stranger stepped from behind the tree. He was tall around 6"1' with a very muscular body and two swords at his side. 'Just great now I have to deal with a samurai. Kami, why must you test me even more?' she thought. "What the fuck do you do want, samurai?" Taki asked in frustration.

"What is your name, woman?"

"I am Taki of the Shedo clan in Fa-Ma-No Sato. Why is that important?"

"Woman, prepare yourself for battle against The Great Mitsurugi Heshiro."

"Whatever, I don't have time for this bullshit, I got things to do," Taki stated in annoyance, as she began to question why she was always getting into these situation.

Mitsurugi growled in anger at her dismissal. 'How dare she refuse my challenge so casually, I will not be disrespected.' He thought as he drew out his katana, Korefuji.

"Woman, you will fight me even if I have to follow you to hell to do so." Mitsurugi stated harshly as he got into his stance.

"Why do you want to fight me?"

"Because I want to be the best and by becoming the best I must continue to fight."

Taki stared at Mitsurugi in mild interest, sighed, and began to think back on how she ended up in this mess.

**OoOoOo**

_**"We have at least a week to get to the shores of Shizuoka, and an extra ten days to get to the outer edge Edo. Then I have to find a way to get close to Lord Botan," Taki said to her horse, Yoshi, as she lead him to a stream to give him a rest. **_

_**It has been three days since she left for her mission and she had not rested since then. Taki sighed and patted Yoshi as he greedily lapped the cool water. Suddenly she heard a scream not to far from where she stood.**_

_**"Please, someone help me!"**_

_**Taki placed a hand on the hilt of her ninjato waiting for the person to come forward. Taki saw a young girl, around the age of 13, running towards her. The girl tripped, but Taki managed to catch her. The girl looked awful; her clothes were torn, her hair wild, and her face was a little bruised. **_

_**"Please, you must run or they will get you," the young girl stated quickly, trying to drag Taki with her to safety.**_

_**"What are you ranting about, girl?" Taki asked in confusion.**_

_**"There's no time to explain we must-, "she was cut off by four men coming out of the dense forest. **_

_**"Look what have here men, another woman for us to share," the first man said as he walked towards Taki and he reached out to touch Taki's face. Taki quickly slapped the man's hand away from her.**_

_**"Looks like this one is going to be a hand full, boss. Don't worry pretty lady I'll be to go soft on you, if you want me to."**_

_**"Get away from me if you want to live," Taki spoke firmly. The leader of the group laughed.**_

_**"You don't scare me little girl, I am Renji of Fuu clan, the most feared clan of this region," the leader stated with a smile on his face, until he heard a soft giggle. He snarled at Taki and began to advance towards her with evil intent. The young woman behind Taki began to back away from the group. **_

_**"Do you truly believe that you intimidate me? You and your friends are a joke to your clan," Taki stated laughing. Taki turned around to the young girl and walked up towards her. The young girl cringed out fear when Taki took her face in between her hands and studied the girl's face carefully. **_

_**"What is your name?" Taki asked gently.**_

_**"My name is Akina," she said**_

_**"Could you please tell me what they tried to do to you?" Taki inquired Akina, as she began to wipe some of the dirt off of her face. Akina looked at Taki and her eyes welled up with tears. Taki took a slow deliberate breath and held it in. "Akina, go and stand by my horse, Yoshi, and make sure that he stays clam while I handle some business." Taki commanded the girl in a soft voice.**_

_**"Bitch, how dare you disregard us? I ought to-" **_

_**"I'm getting really tired of your bullshit. I already gave you a fair warning the first time do not make me follow through." **_

_**"What could you possible do to us? You are just a woman and we all know that women are wea-, "the henchman was cut off by the pain the erupted in his body. He looked and saw a few hira-shurikens in his body. "You…bitch…I'm gonna kill you…for-," the man panted before he fell face first down into the ground and blood began to flow from his body. **_

_**Taki smiled as she saw the expressions of the men went from shock to horror. She turned and walked towards Yoshi and Akina. "Akina, go and take Yoshi to the nearest village and stay there until I come back. If I am not back in a day or so come back to this spot and wait for me." Taki instructed quietly to the girl. The girl nodded quickly and got on Yoshi and went off into the forest.**_

_**"Don't let her get away, go after her you morons!" Renji yelled to his remaining companions.**_

_**"The only way you are going to get her is by going through me and I don't think either of you have the balls to do it."**_

_**"Kill her!" Renji yelled as he and his companions ran to attack her. Taki shook her head and began to fight.**_

**OoOoOo**

Taki turned and faced Mitsurugi and smiled as an idea came to mind. "Mitsurugi, I accept your challenge only on one condition."

"What is your condition?" Mitsurugi asked cautiously.

"If I win you must escort me to the shores ofShizuoka and from there you will me as far as the outer edge of Edo."

"What do I get if I win?" Mitsurugi asked inquisitively.

"You will have a chance to fight me at anytime you like as long as I am alive," Taki stated slowly. Taki sighed again and looked up to the sky that was now a light orange and pink mixture.

"I accept your terms; now let the fighting begin!" Mitsurugi cried out as he ran towards Taki.

OO OO OO

**Thank you for reading and I hope to have the next chapter as soon as possible and I hoped you enjoyed. **


	4. Chapter 4

"Talking"

"Talking"

'Thought'

'**Inner Thinking'**

**Last Time on Destined Hearts; Forbidden Love**

**Taki turned and faced Mitsurugi and smiled as an idea came to mind. "Mitsurugi, I accept your challenge only on one condition."**

**"What is your condition?" Mitsurugi asked cautiously.**

**"If I win you must escort me to the shores of Shizuoka and from there you will me as far as the outer edge of Edo."**

**"What do I get if I win?" Mitsurugi asked inquisitively. **

**"You will have a chance to fight me at anytime you like as long as I am alive," Taki stated slowly. Taki sighed again and looked up to the sky that was now a light orange and pink mixture. **

**"I accept your terms; now let the fighting begin!" Mitsurugi cried out as he ran towards Taki. **

**Taki's P.O.V**

Pain is all I can feel right now; that undeniable feeling of a continuous pounding on my body. My body protest with every movement I make against my opponent.

With pain there is blood, and lots of it. I could feel the warm liquid run down my body and painted the ground beneath me red. The smell of salt and metal mixed together makes me sick to my stomach. The taste of it was more revolting than the smell. The same mixture taste exactly as it smells, sickening. The worst part of it is that I can't get that taste out of my mouth.

Of course, with all the pain, blood and suffering that I am going through that unavoidable voice rings in the back of my head.

**'We are about to die you know,' inner Taki stated. **

'I am not going to die…at least not today.'

**'I'll give you two alternatives: one we run or two we surrender and hope he will be merciful to us.' **

'I choose the third alternative.'

**'What is the third alternative?'**

'To continue to fight…maybe even kill him, if I have to.'

**'True you could do that but what are the chances of that really happening? I mean we have lost to much blood and if '**

'I know I can do it

**OoOoOoOo **

**Normal P.O.V.**

The once blue sky was now a pale pink with orange and purple hues. The fight had been excruciating long and painful for both fighters. They stood about three yards away from each other and both of their bodies were throbbing with intense pain. Taki closed her eyes and inhaled deeply and held her breath.

"Thinking about surrendering to me shonbi?" Mitsurugi asked as he got back into his stance.

"Ha, you wish, samurai, I will never surrender to the likes o you." Taki coldly replied as she stuck her hand in a small bag on her side and gave Mitsurugi a mischievous smile.

"There is no room for any tricks here, shonbi." Mitsurugi stated harshly as he pulled his katana into a defensive stance. He watched Taki intently as he began to slowly circling her. Taki chuckled and pulled out a black mask and put it on over her nose and mouth. Taki, again, reached into the bag and brought out three coin sized red balls in her hand.

**'Are you crazy? Do you know how dangerous this is? Even with this mask on you can be infected with-'Taki's inner self protested in panic.**

'I know what I am doing' Taki replied calmly. Taki watched as Mitsurugi as he began to circle her. With Rekki-Maru ready Taki inhaled sharply and attacked Mitsurugi with full force. With in a few minutes into the fight Taki threw the first ball at Mitsurugi's chest. The moment the ball hit his chest it exploded with a force that throw Mitsurugi slightly off balance. He stumbled but quickly regained balance to block another strike from Taki; all the while inhaling the fumes from the small bomb. Immediately Mitsurugi started coughing and his eyes began to water. Again Taki attacked Mitsurugi and missed again.

'What…what is happening to me?' Mitsurugi thought as he tried to attack Taki, but she easily evaded his strike. Taki threw the second ball at him and missed. Smoke clouded the field and the samurai was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is he?" Taki whispered to herself as she tried to sense him through the smoke. She closed eyes and began to focus on his ki and after a few seconds a smile sneaked onto her face. She swiftly turned around and sliced through the thick smoke. He was not there. Taki saw a flash from the corner of her eye and quickly moved before she was sliced. Another strike came and this time it cut off her mask; she quickly put her hand over her mouth and nose. 'I have to get out!' Taki panicked as she tried to find the closest way out; she found it. As she made a mad dash towards her opening Mitsurugi big fist connected to her right cheek. She lost her balance and stumbled a few feet away from him. She placed her arm on a nearby tree and coughed up some blood.

Mitsurugi stood there waiting, watching Taki as she wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. 'I have to win, failure is not an option,' Mitsurugi thought. He charged and pinned Taki to the tree with his massive hand around her neck holding her in the air. Taki struggled viciously against his grasp. She clawed, kicked, and shrieked as he tightened the grip on her slender neck. Taki's stopped and she glared at him with pure rage; then a malice smile crept upon her face.

**'Do not do it you could kill us all, you stupid bitch!' **Taki's inner self yelled. Taki reached into her pocket and got the third unused ball. She tried to take a shallow breath before she shoved the ball into Mitsurugi's chest. The space between them was filled with toxic fumes and Mitsurugi released her. He gasped for clean air as he stumbled away from her, only to black out a few feet away. Taki staggered as she made her way across the field towards Mitsurugi and fell face first unconscious.

**OoOoOoOo **

It was night and the female shonbi was nowhere to be found. 'She told me that she would be here.' Akina thought as she looked around to see any sign of the girl. As she began to get back on the horse a wounded man came into the clearing carrying a bruised and battered woman in his arms. Akina quickly ran to the horse and grabbed a weapon from the bag. "Stay away from me or I swear by Kami that I will hurt you," Akina stated as held the weapon in her trembling hands. Akina suddenly gasped as she looked at the woman in the stranger's arms. "What happen to her? What did you do to her?" Akina demanded as she approached the man.

"Hel…help her," the man stated before he fell to his knees with Taki still in his arms. Akina ran to Mitsurugi's side and dragged Taki from under him and laid her against the nearest tree.

"Just great; how the hell I'm going to help this two? Why me, oh great spirits?" Akina muttered.

**OoOoOoOo **

**Thank for reading you guys. This chapter was by far the hardest chapter to write. I hope that you enjoyed. Also I have begun to write on a story that I had discontinued a long time ago. Please be patience I am going to alternate between each story.**


	5. Chapter 5

"Hel…help her," the man stated before he fell to his knees with Taki still in his arms

**Sorry for the delay guys I have been very busy lately, so I hope you all can forgive me. Also Akina is my character; she is sort if like Taki when she was younger but cusses more. Hope you enjoy the chapter.**

"**Hel…help her," the man stated before he fell to his knees with Taki still in his arms. Akina ran to Mitsurugi's side and dragged Taki from under him and laid her against the nearest tree.**

"**Just great; how the hell I'm going to help this two? Why me, oh great spirits?" Akina muttered.**

**OoOoOoOo **

Taki slowly opened her eyes and cringed away from the sunlight, blinking a few times so her eyes could adjust to the sudden light. She looked around to see that she was not in a forest anymore. _'How did I end up in a hut?'_ she thought. She quickly inhaled and sharp stab of pain racked throughout her body leaving her breathless. She inhaled again but slowly this time and prepared for the pain. Quickly but careful she threw the covers off her body and pushed herself into an upright position to survey the damages that were done to her. Her left ankle looked swollen, a few purple bruises adorned arms and legs, and ribs were tightly enclosed with bandages.

"Look who finally decides to wake up and grace us with her presence. Many times I thought that you were dead." Akina's voice startled Taki back into reality. She looked at the young girl who she saved from the group of men. She did not look like the same scared girl from last time. Her hair and face was free of dirt and her hair was in a high a high ponytail similar to hers. Her outfit looked oddly familiar to the one she normally wears. A short old woman walked in with a shocked expression on her face.

"How did I get here?" Taki asked as the old woman walked to Akina's side.

"Akina-san brought you here three days ago with-"the old woman began to explain.

"I have been unconscious for three days?"

Both Akina and the old woman nodded their heads in unison. "I must leave now," Taki panted as she struggled to get off of the tatsumi mat. The old woman quickly shuffled to her side and tried to push her back down gently but she would not budge; Akina rushed out of the hut.

"Please, my child, you must rest some more. You are still weak from your injuries and you could reopen your wounds again," the old woman persisted. Taki did not listen to her as she knocked the old woman out of the way to search for her clothes and weapons. A harsh chuckle echoed through the hut which made the hairs on her neck stand up. She quickly turned around, ignoring pain the intense pain that shot through her body, to find the source of the crude sound. There stood a massive being in the door way of the hut. He was the same one who had put her in this condition, in the first place.

"You," Taki spat as he made his way towards her and the woman with a smile on his face looking down on her. She quickly realized what he was staring at her with amusement and covered her body with the blanket.

"You have finally awakened Taki-san," he smiled as he knelt down beside her.

"Why are you here?"

He laughed again as he pushed her down back onto the mat; his callus hands sending shivers down her spine. "It seems that my _friend_ has forgotten who I am. Lady Taka, can have we a few moments alone with each other?" she hesitatingly nodded and walked out leaving them alone in the hut.

"Why the hell are you still here?"

"Did you forget our wager, shonbi? You said that if I win I get to-"

"I remember what was said but that still does answer my question."

"You did not win."

"Neither did you, if I am not mistaken."

"Then it seems we have to wait until an agreement is reached. Until then you must rest some more."

"How do I know that you would not try to do anything to me or the girl?"

"Be reasonably shonbi, if I wanted to something to you or the girl I would have done it a long time ago," he stated as he walked out of the hut leaving her there to ponder on the situation that she was in. Taki closed her eyes and began to replay the events which brought her here. Another presence entered into the hut and she quickly opened eyes. Akina stood in the doorway of the hut with a bowl of steaming rice in her hands.

"I'm sorry I did not mean to wake you Taki-san but Taka-san said that you needed to eat before you went back to sleep." she stated as she sat on the dirt floor next to her offering her the food.

"Tell her thank you but her concern is unnecessary; I am not really hunger and I really do not need to rest…"she was interrupted by her rumbling stomach. Taki blushed and quickly placed her hand on her stomach as if to quiet it. Akina laughed and sat the bowl in Taki's lap and handed her a pair of chopsticks.

"I think your stomach strongly disagree with you". Taki's stomach gurgled louder than the first time. Both girls giggled as Taka came into the hut with a bowl of warm water, herds, and fresh bindings. She gave Akina a stern look as she placed each item on the ground next to Taki before she took her position beside her.

"Akina, will you please leave the young woman alone so she can eat and rest in peace," Taka stated. Akina nodded and did a quick bow before leaving the hut. Taka carefully took the bowl of rice out of Taki's lap and began to take off the yukata. Taki tensed as the old woman began to undo the bandages from her ribs. She gasped when Taka began to rub the warm cloth against the bruises on her body. "I have never seen a person, let alone a woman, to survive with this many wounds. Many times I had to call a monk to make sure you were not dead over the last two days. The heavens above must have favor on you, child," she stated as she wrapped fresh bandages tightly to Taki's ribs.

"Taka-san, I would like to thank you for your kindness for taking care of me while I was injured. If there is anything that I could offer you for your troubles please tell me before I leave," she said softly. Taka looked into Taki's eyes and stared into them for a long time.

"Taki-san I have one favor to ask of you. If you could please take Akina with you on your journey, once you are healed again."

"I am not able to do what you ask of me; I am sorry but my journey is too dangerous for her to join," she explained as she began to eat her food.

"Please, hear me out; my days on this earth are near its end. I have taken care of Akina ever since she was a small babe. I am old and weak and I can not contain that child's curiosity and love for adventure anymore. So I ask you again please take her with you." Taka pleaded with her head bowed low. Taki gazed at the woman, shook her head, and sighed.

"You do not understand what you are asking of me, Taka-san. You are asking me to put this innocent girl in danger; to risk her life for something she was not ready or what was not meant for her. Are you sure you are ready to put this girl in that much risk? I am not."

"I understand forgive me for my ignorance. I will check on you later this evening," she stated with a bowed head, got up and left Taki in the hut alone again. She ate all of the food quietly and laid back down to rest some more.

**OoOoOo**

**That same night…**

Taki opened her eyes and was greeted by the silent night in the hut. Akina and Taka were asleep on the floor across on the other side of the hut; while Mitsurugi was asleep against the wall with his arms folded tightly against his chest hugging his katana. She slowly and quietly got up and tip toed, as much as her ankle would allow, over to the group and got her equipment before she walked out of the hut. She walked to the stables, retrieved Yoshi and placed her bags on him as she led him out into the warm clear night sky. Suddenly a chill ran down her spine; she swiftly turned around only to see Akina watching her. Taki relaxed her stance and sighed in relief before sheathing her ninjato back into its hilt.

"What are you doing?"

"Go back in the hut, Akina; you should not be out here." Taki stated as she returned to the task at hand. Akina stood there watching Taki as she prepared to leave, before she dropped to knees and placed her hands and forehead on the soft ground.

"Please Taki-san, I beg of you, take me with you on your journey," she pleaded.

"Why should I take a weakling like you with me? Just give me one good reason why I should bring you with." Taki asked harshly as she strapped her weapons onto Yoshi saddle.

"I am tired of being weak. I am tired of always looking for someone to protect me instead of protecting myself and others. Do you want to know why I was being chased the first time we meet?" Akina asked as lifted herself off the ground and dusted the dirt off of her yukata; Taki nodded. "Taka-san had sent me that a village not far from here to retrieve some food from the market. On my way there I saw those men pushing on a girl around my age. They were about to rape her, so I did what came to my mind first. I picked up a few rocks and threw them at the group. By me doing that the other girl got away but I left to defend for myself; that is when I ran into you. I may be young and weak, but I can learn; if you just give me a chance."

Taki shook her head and smile at the young girl before her. She turned around and began to stroke Yoshi's mane. "I am going to regret this later on in life, but I am going to let you can come with me."

"Really, do you mean it?" Akina asked excitedly. Taki nodded her head and Akina began to jump up and down with glee and let out a shout of joy. Taki quickly rushed over to the girl and clamped her hand over the young girl's mouth.

"Be quiet, Akina, I do not want you to awake the others. Now be quick and get and your things; we leave once you are ready," she stated. Suddenly a sharp spread through her body forcing her to fall into Akina's arms; leaving her struggling to breath.

"What fuck was that for, you bastard?" Akina yelled to the figure in front of her. Taki turned her head around and glared at the man who, again, cause her excruciating pain. Mitsurugi walk to the pair while tossing a smooth rock in the air and catching it with a smile on his lips.

"Where the hell do you two think you are going, in the middle of the night?" he asked as he closed the distance between him and the pair. He stopped and stared down at Taki.

"You…you…bastard, I am going to kill you." Taki panted as Akina struggled to get her. Mitsurugi laughed a put Yoshi back into

"Save your breathe and your strength shonbi; since you are so ready to leave we will leave at first light heading north towards Shizuoka," he stated has he took Taki out of Akina arms and began to carry her back into the hut

"What do you mean by we?" Taki asked while she wiggled in his arms.

"It is dangerous to do that _Taki-san_ especially with you in my arms," he whispered huskily in her ear and then entered into the hut. He carefully laid her down on the mat and position himself beside her. "Until you are healed I will not engage you in a fight. Therefore I will travel with you and the girl to Edo. Now go back to sleep and do not even think about leaving until in the morning," he said as he pinched a nerve on her neck to make her fall asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

"**It is dangerous to do that **_**Taki-san**_** especially with you in my arms," he whispered huskily in her ear and then entered into the hut. He carefully laid her down on the mat and position himself beside her. "Until you are healed I will not engage you in a fight. Therefore I will travel with you and the girl to Edo. Now go back to sleep and do not even think about leaving until in the morning," he said as he pinched a nerve on her neck to make her fall asleep. **

"When are we going to stop, Taki-san? I am tired, hungry, and I stink; please can we rest for awhile?" Akina whined for the tenth time that day. Taki groaned as she silently questioned the gods why she every agreed to let this brat come with them.

'Remember you are doing this for that old woman,' her conscious reminded. Taki shook her head and looked ahead of her. In front of her was the samurai, Mitsurugi, who had also tagged along with her to Edo. Taki pulled the reigns on Yoshi and willed him to a stop. Mitsurugi stopped a few paces in front of the girls and looked at Taki in mild interest.

"What the hell are you doing, woman?" he asked as he began to walk over to where Taki was.

"What do you think baka?" she countered harshly as swung her right leg over Yoshi's huge body.

"Taki-san, what are you doing?" Akina questioned with concern. Taki paused and looked at Akina.

"I am getting off so you can ride him for awhile. Besides I need walk and try to get strength back to my ankle," she stated as she readied herself to jump off her horse. Mitsurugi instantly blocked her before she could jump off the horse.

"We only have a few more miles before we reach the next village, so keep your ass on that horse," he stated harshly.

"I do not take orders from the likes of you," Taki sneered as she closed the distance between them while still on the horse. Mitsurugi growled and his hand itched to reach for the hilt of his katana.

"Taki-san, Mitsurugi-san please I want you two to end this now; I am tried of both of you always bickering over stupid things." Akina stated as she placed herself between the two warriors, trying to put some distance between the two. Akina let out a long sigh and began to rub the sides in a slow circular motion. 'Why can they not act their age for once?' "Now, listen to me, we are going to rest here for the evening. I want the two of you to act civilize and stop acting like some damn kids. I am leaving and I will be back soon."

Taki leaned way from the group with a scowl and stared at Akina. "Where the hell do you think you are going, especially by yourself?"

"I am going fishing and to get us some fresh water so we can cook some of the rice. We have not had a decent meal in days, and I think we deserve that least," she explained as she grabbed a long stick, a wooden pail, a straw basket, some string, and a kunai. "Please do not kill each other while I am gone."

Taki reached behind her back and untied her second ninjato and tossed it to Akina. "If you are going alone you will need more protection than a simple kunai," she stated as Akina unsheathed the blade from its hilt and gasped. Akina stared in admiration of sword before placing it back in its hilt offering it back to Taki, shaking her head.

"I can not take this Taki-san; this is your ninjato. If what you all are attacked, how will you protect yourself? I could live with myself knowing that I had left you unarmed in your time of need."

"I have another one, my Rekki-Maru; the one that you hold is Mekki-Maru, my second ninjato. I suggest you leave if you want to have dinner before night fall." Akina gave a deep bow and mouthed 'thank you' before heading out to the river. Taki watched Akina walk off into the forest until she was out of sight, and growled softly.

"She should not be on this journey with us. She is to young and weak for this; we should leave her when we stop at the next village," Mitsurugi stated as he sat under the closest tree and crossed his arms.

"I can not do that, I made a promise and I intend to keep it."

"You have kept the promise so far; why not let the girl have a normal life instead of training her in the ways of a shonbi?" he asked.

"Because…at least with a shonbi life she will be able to choose her own path." Taki explained as she slow slid down off the horse touching the ground with the good foot then followed by the other one. Taki stood, while still holding on to Yoshi, and tested the ankle.

"What path would that be; a life of constant killing, hiding, and shame?"

"No…the path of the shonbi is honorable-"

"Honorable? There is nothing honorable about killing an unprepared opponent," he interjected as he closed his eyes.

"There is nothing honorable about being a spineless servant of an egotistical daimyo bent on money, power, and land!" she retorted as she released her hold on Yoshi and stood erect. Mitsurugi quickly stood and approached her with his hand on his hilt, and an evil glint in his eyes.

"Do you care to repeat yourself, woman?" he asked as he closed the distance between them. Taki immediately grabbed a hold of her ninjato on her back.

"All samurais are mindless, spineless servants of the Imperial daimyos that have brains equal to that of a fish!" she yelled back. Mitsurugi roared as he swung his katana in an upward motion while Taki countered with a downward slash of her Rekki-Maru. Their weapons clashed against each other; Taki quickly gasped, and masked the pain, as the muscles in her body protest the sudden movement. Yoshi reared up and moved to the other side

"You had promised that you would not engage me into a fight. I do not think you are being _honorable_," she stated through clenched teeth. Mitsurugi forcefully pushed Taki into the closest sakura tree, before he grabbed the collar of her kimono and lifted her above his head, and leaned in close to her ear.

"I swear I will run my katana though you, one day," he whispered.

"Why wait, why not you do it now?" she asked as she struggled against his hold. He growled before he punched her in the stomach, before throwing her to the ground and walked back to the tree where he was. He sat under the tree once again crossed his arms before closing his eyes to meditate.

A small whimper escaped her lips as she clutched the side of her body. Her breathing became deeper as her eye sight became blurry. She felt warm liquid on her hand and stared at blood covered hand and growled. She reached inside of her kimono and pulled out a kunai and threw it at him with as much force as possible, only to barely cut his right cheek, before completely laying on the ground. "Go to hell, Samurai," she cursed.

Mitsurugi lightly touched the cut and wiped the blood from his face, before closing his hand into a fist. He got up and walked over the Taki and dropped to his knees. "Listen, whether you like it or not, it was your idea to keep me around and I intend to follow you to Edo. In order for us to get there fast we must learn how to trust each other. Do you agree?"

"I have no other choice," she whispered. He nodded and then reached out to lay her down on her back. He took off his _hakama_, folded and placed it under her head. "What are you doing?" she asked as she watched him get a few items out a pouch.

"It seems that you have reopened your wounds and I believe Akina-san will try to kill me," he stated slowly as he began to prepare to redo her bandages.

"Let us wait until Akina-san comes back, so she can do this," she whispered.

"The chances of you surviving by the time she returns is very slim," he explained as he tried to untie her obi.

"I will take those chances and wait for her," she answered as she placed her arms around her body.

"I am sorry but I will not take those chances and…" he stopped and a sly smile graced his face. "You are worried about me seeing your body,"

"Will you just shut-up," she retorted as she looked away to hide the blush that had crept onto her face and she tighten her arms. "Just go away, and leave me alone."

"Taki-san, I want you to look at me." Taki turned her head towards him and softly gasped. The expression on his face had caught her off guard; the fierce appearance of a warrior was replaced by exhaustion and distress of a young man. However it was his eyes that startled her the most. They did not show any anger or malicious intentions but genuine fear for her. Of all the people he could worry for he was worrying over her. "I promise that I will not look or touch at anything but the wounds. Will you trust me enough to do that?"

Taki nodded and lee her arms fall to her sides to allow him to administer to her wounds.

* * *

"Ah, finally peace," Akina muttered to herself as she lay down on the grass and waited patiently for a fish to take the bait. So far she had caught three large fish and three small fish, and the day seemed to be getting better. Suddenly, her rod began to twitch informing her of another catch. She smiled as she began to gently tug on the rod before yanking the rod hard pulling another large fish onto the ground near her.

"Hurray, another fish to cook!" she exclaimed as she held up her fish. Akina quickly tied all of the fishes onto a single line, before standing up and stretching her limbs. She grabbed the fishes, placed them into a straw basket, and tied the basket to her back. 'I better get back to the group; Taki-san probably already tried to kill Mitsurugi-san. I just turned seventeen and I am the only one who acts more like a mature adult than they do,' she thought as she gathered up her things and turned to head back to camp. Akina abruptly stopped as she heard a faint noise coming from forest behind her. 'Just great, I only had a couple of lessons and now I might have to actually fight. I am so dead,' she thought as quickly place her hand on the hilt of Mekki-Maru.

Suddenly a small rabbit hopped into the clearing and she let out a long sigh of relief. She smiled as she tried calming herself until the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and a threatening presence reveled itself. She turned around and swiftly unsheathed Mekki-Maru and going into a defensive stance. A lone figure cautiously walked into the clearing. He was a young man with red hair and startling crystal azure eyes. He had on simple clothing a black _uwagi_ and a white _zubon_ held by a red obi.

He stopped and stared at the scared girl in front him, in confusion. He had sensed an evil aura in this direction and came to investigate, yet all that he had found was this little girl with a ninjato. "You there, little girl with the ninjato, who else is with you?"

"That is none of your damn business, and who are you calling a little girl? I am seventeen years old," she informed while tightening her grip on the weapon. She stared at the stranger in awe; she had never seen a person with that odd color hair and with equally odd color eyes. "Who or what are you?"

"My name is Takeshi Kurokaji, and I am on a mission to seek and to destroy a dangerous weapon known as Soul Edge," he replied as looked at Akina and then slowly to Mekki-Maru. 'That ninjato has a piece of Soul Edge embedded with in it. Why does this girl have it?' "Give me the ninjato now, little girl, or else!"

"Or else what, are you going to kill me?" Akina asked as left hand slipped into her pocket and grabbed three small black balls.

"If it has to come to that then make no mistake I will kill you," he answered coldly.

"Well then, try to come and get it, you son of a bitch!"

Kurokaji roared as he ran full speed towards Akina with his katana in position to strike. Akina smiled as she threw down all three down and smoke filled the surrounding. Kurokaji stopped in the middle of the smoke cloud and tried sense the aura of the sword but there was nothing. "Damn, she got away; next time she will not be so lucky,"

* * *

_Hakama- _it is worn over the uwagi and zubon.

_Zubon_- is the bottom half, the trousers.

_Uwagi_- is a kimono-like jacket most familiar as the top half of a martial arts uniform.

**Yup I did it I tried to leave you all with a cliffie. So thanks for reading and I am terribly sorry for not updating soon enough. Big thanks to Twilight's Messenger for creating this new character for my story. Also does anyone know how to get rid of a writer's block? **


	7. Chapter 7

"**Well then, try to come and get it, you son of a bitch!"**

**Kurokaji roared as he ran full speed towards Akina with his katana in position to strike. Akina smiled as she threw down all three down and smoke filled the surrounding. Kurokaji stopped in the middle of the smoke cloud and tried sense the aura of the sword but there was nothing. "Damn, she got away; next time she will not be so lucky," **

_Kiyoshi 15 years old (Past)_

_Lord Raidon 37 years old (Past)_

_Taki 9 years old (Past)_

The evening sky was slowly changing from the pink and orange tint to an almost dark blue night sky, and Akina was still not back at camp. Taki took another deep breathe to try to calm her nerves. So far, nothing else has happened between her and the samurai but a few sighs from boredom and the occasional glances. Taki slowly got up off the ground and crawled to the closest tree before leaning against it. "I knew I should have gone with her," she muttered as she banged her head softly against the tree. She slowly pulled her knees to her chest and began to rock. "What if she was attacked? I had promised Taka-san that I would take care of the girl, and now she's probably out there hurt or worse."

"Stop worrying so much; she is not a child, she knows how to take care of herself," Mitsurugi stated in a small attempt to reassure her. 'But what if she is truly hurt or in trouble?' his inner self asked quietly. He shook his head as an attempt to get the doubt out of his head. He let out a long sigh and looked back at Taki. "Why do you care so much for the girl anyway?"

"I care because…she sort of reminds me of myself, when I was younger."

"How is that so?"

"She has same the fire that my older brother told me that I had."

"What kind of fire is that?" he inquired.

"The fire to prove yourself worthy of something," she stated as looked back into the evening before she closed her eyes.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_It is a hot summer day as a young Taki walked out to the field where all the young men of the village were training. Standing in front of the group was the clan's leader, her father, and her older brother Kiyoshi, standing by his side. She took a deep breathe and walked as fast as her legs could carry her to the two men in front. Both of the men turned their attention to her as she gave them both a deep bow. "What is it that you want, my child?"_

_"If it pleases you father, I have only one request, and that is to train as a shonbi," she requested as she kept she kept her eyes on the ground. Lord Raidon began to laugh as he placed his large hand on Taki's head. _

_"Taki, you must have forgotten that you are a girl. Now go along a play with some of your dolls."_

_"Father please if you just-"_

_"My answer is no, Taki," he harshly interjected, as he began to turn away from her. Young Kiyoshi placed his hand on his father's shoulder to stop him. _

_"Father, why not teach her how to fight? I really do not see any harm in teaching her the ways of the shonbi."_

_"The way of the shonbi is not fit for a girl. I will not have my daughter wielding a ninjato."_

_"Father-"_

_"My answer shall remain the same, Kiyoshi." Lord Raidon stated tersely as he began to walk away from his children._

_"What if I teach her how to be a shonbi?"_

_Lord Raidon turned and looked at his son in amazement. "You would dare go against my decision, my son? Are you truly willing to place your little sister in that kind of danger?"_

_"Yes I dare to go against your decision, but no real harm will come to her." Kiyoshi's voice lowers, "You have not witness what I have, father, I swear to you she is unlike any other child in the village. For the past few days, I have watched her train herself by imitating me during training. She can be the best; I know that with my heart and soul, because she has the fire of a warrior."_

_Lord Raidon walked back to Taki and grabbed her by the chin, as he lowered himself to her eye level. They remained in that position for a while as he gazed into his daughter's deep chocolate eyes. "If what you say is true Kiyoshi, you have until next summer when the next generation of ninjas will be accepted. If she fails, you will no longer teach her the shonbi life, and Taki will no longer train; is that understood?" _

_"Yes father we understand."_

_Kiyoshi and young Taki stood there as they watched their father walked away._

_"How determined are you to become a shonbi, Taki? What are you willing to do for this?" Kiyoshi asked with his back still to Taki. She remained silent for a few moments before replying._

_"Anything, brother, just tell me what do, and I'll do it." Taki stated with her head bowed low. Kiyoshi turned around and gazed at his little sister._

_"I have a plan on a way to get you to become the best shonbi in the clan. Meet me tonight after everyone is fast asleep, and then you will know the rest," he explained as he walked away following their father's footsteps. Taki smiled widen as she ran back to the village. _

_**That Night**_

_Taki swiftly and quietly slipped from her room ran down the hall to the open courtyard to meet Kiyoshi. He stood in the middle of the yard dressed in his leakage along with two wooden buckets to his side, three large clay pots as half tall as Taki, and some unknown items in both of his hands. Taki walked up to him and gave a quick bow._

"_You will meet here every night until the next full moon. I will be your teacher until I find someone who is willing to train you. Here is your training equipment until then, you these weights are to stay on your wrist and ankles at all times," he explained as he began to hand the weights to Taki._

_Taki nodded as she reached for the weights, but Kiyoshi quickly snatched the weights away from her reach. Taki let her hand drop and stared at her brother in confusion. Kiyoshi shook his head and began to walk away, motioning Taki to follow him._

_"You are to wake up before the sun peaks over the horizon, to start your training. I will not be able to train you personal everyday, but if you follow my instructions, you will become better and maybe the best later on. You must complete most of the servants' heavier and more demanding task by the time they are dressed for the day. I have already informed the servants on what will be done and they will report to me if you fail to finish the task. In addition, you will need to be placed on a special diet. You will no longer eat pork or beef; you are only allowed fish and chicken, until I say other wise. Do you understand, Taki?"_

_"Yes big brother, I understand completely." Taki replied with a nod. Kiyoshi stopped a few steps away from the pristine lake and Taki positioned herself close to him._

_"Promise me something, Taki," he whispered._

_"Anything Kiyoshi-san," she stated as she looked up to search for her brother expression. Kiyoshi looked down to Taki and placed his hand on her head._

_"Do what you want and not what is expected of you." Kiyoshi stated as he wrapped the weights onto her wrists and ankles. "Now, try to keep up, if you can," he stated as he began to sprint back to the village; Taki soon followed him._

* * *

"It's almost nightfall and Akina is still not back, I'm going to search for her, she probably got lost on her way from the river." Taki stated as she walked to Yoshi and unstrapped her ninjato. Mitsurugi groaned as he pushed himself off the ground and dusted off his clothes before grabbing his katana off the tree.

"If it will quiet you then I will help find the child," he grumbled as he tied his katana to his waist. Suddenly there was a rustle in bushes ten feet away from the warriors. Mitsurugi quickly ran and positioned himself between Taki and the potential danger. "Stay behind me," he commanded as he unsheathed the katana.

"Hey guys, why is everyone so tense?" Akina questioned as she held up the fishes that she caught. Mitsurugi inhaled deeply before he sheathed his katana.

"Where the hell have you been?" Mitsurugi demanded in annoyance.

"Oh…um…I got lost on my way back. I am sorry if I worried you all." Akina said as she began to clean and gut the fish for their dinner. Taki watched Akina as she cooked food, 'She lied to us, but why?' she thought as she sat quietly against a nearby tree. The group ate and drank in silence until night finally arrived, and then Akina gathered and the sleeping mats for everyone.

"We leave tomorrow at first light, that way we will arrive to Shizuoka tomorrow evening, and maybe even on the boat heading towards Edo." Taki stated as she placed her weapons against a tree near her sleeping mat.

"What is the rush, Taki-san?" Akina asked as she stretched out her arms before lying on the hard sleeping mat.

"I have… something I must accomplish before I return to my village," she explained softly while she positioned herself against a tree.

"What do you have to do?" Mitsurugi questioned.

"That is none of your business, Mitsurugi-san, now please shut up and get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day and maybe we will get a boat in time."

Akina chuckled softly as she said a silent prayer of thanks before lying down on her mat. She smiled as she glanced at Mitsurugi, whose head began slowly nod up and down. Suddenly a disturbing thought crossed her mind and her hand flew to her neck. 'Where is my necklace?'

OoOoOo

A lone figure with a long dark cloak stood in front of a small hut.

_Knock, knock, knock_

"Who the hell would come to my house this late at night?" An old woman mumbled as she shuffled her feet towards the entrance. She moved the bamboo mat that hung in front of the door, and glared at the tall figure before her. "What do you want?"

"You know what I want old hag, now let me enter," the figure commanded harshly before taking a step closer to the old woman. She quickly put here hand out to stop the man. She crossed her arms and positioned herself between the entrance.

"That's not the way to treat a person who is trying to help you, young samurai."

"Forgive me for not being considerate; now let me in old woman," he commanded as he advanced towards the old woman. She let out a long sigh and motioned him into the hut towards the middle, where a black bowl hung over a medium size fire pit. The woman sat close to the fire and the young man followed her example.

"What can I help you with this time, Kurokaji?" she asked as she began to stir the rice in the pot.

"I need you to do something for me, Leiko-san." Kurokaji stated as he stared at her. Leiko shook her head as she handed a bowl of rice to Kurokaji before preparing her own meal. Leiko took a few mouthfuls of rice before she placed her bowl by here side.

"Kurokaji-kun, I can't-"

"I encountered someone in procession with a piece of Soul Edge."

Leiko's eyes widen and a gasp escaped your lips. "Where and when did this happen?"

"It happened only a few minutes ago at the place you had predicted earlier," he replied as he finished his meal.

"What did this person look like? Was he tall, short, ugly? Was he powerful?" Leiko questioned as she leaned forward.

"He was a she and she was quite young and too pretty to have such power." Kurokaji stated quietly as he handed the bowel to Leiko. Leiko quickly took the bowels and placed them into a bucket of water. She removed the black bowel and replaced it with a medium size kettle over the fire.

"If you want me to find this person I am going to need a few things from you."

"If you are speaking of monetary gains do not worry, I will pay you as soon as I get my information. I give you my promise as a samurai," he stated as he retrieved a small leather bag from his waist and shook it. Leiko gave him a cheeky grin as she prepared for the spell. She placed a few more pieces of wood to intensify the blaze of the fire. Then, she quickly poured in some water and a few oddly colored liquids and herbs in the kettle.

"Do you have anything that can help me locate the girl?" Leiko questioned as she stirred the concoction.

"I believe this will meet your requirements to help you," Kurokaji stated has he held up a red metal pendent with a black dragon on it with red eyes. Leiko stared at the pendent before she took it into her hand. It felt heavy and hot in her hand and her breathing began to slow as she stared even harder into its eyes. "Leiko-san, are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh…I am alright it's just that this looks kind of familiar to me that's all," she murmured as she dropped the pendent into the hot water. "Great ancestors, I call on you to reveal to me the owner of this pendent!" The water began to boil and smoke fumed from the black pot slowly projecting an image onto the boiling water. Gradually the water began to still and the dark water showed the sleeping forms of three people.

"I see the girl but the sword is not with her, it is with the other one."

"Then she must be the owner of the sword, which is the only logical thing I can think of. Besides this girl looks like a ninja, to me." Leiko stated as she stared intensely at the scene. Suddenly an idea came to mind and Leiko stared at Kurokaji. "Come here my brave warrior," Leiko commanded as an evil smile formed on her lips.

"What must I do?" he asked as he approached the sorceress and stood close to her.

"I need you to place your hands into the water and hold it there until I remove it, is that clear?" Kurokaji nodded as he slowly submerged in the boiling pot only to find the water cold as ice. The old woman began to chant in an ancient language. Suddenly, the water that began to bubble and the picture changed to clearing with just the shonbi there. "Now Kuro-san I need to choke the girl that is the only way to kill her and to get the sword," Leiko said excitedly. Kurokaji looked at her and snarled as he violently removed his hands from the water and startled Leiko.

"I will not kill her while she is sleep, I will destroy her and the sword by my on means!" Kurokaji yelled.

"If you will not do it then I will," Leiko snapped back as she plunged her hands into pot and went into a trance like state, before Kurokaji could stop her.

* * *

_**Flashback/Dream**_

_**(Seven years later)**_

_Sweat glistened off Taki's forehead as she fell on the soft grass with a soft thud. Today had been her toughest training yet, and she was beyond exhausted. Ever since she and brother decided for her to become a ninja, everything seemed to fall into place. After four months of following her brother's regiment, he was able to obtain a very descent teacher named Toki, who trained her much harder than the boys in her village. So far, she had managed to defeat all of the boys in her age range and almost half of the older boys in the upper ranks. Taki let out a content sigh as she stared into the evening sky, watching the clouds float by lazily. 'This is perfect,' she thought as she slowly allowed her eyes to close._

_"Taki…Taki, where the hell are you, girl," Kiyoshi's voice boomed over the loud wind._

_Taki instantly opened her eyes and groaned inwardly as she felt her brother's ki raised from his frustration. Taki reluctantly raised her hand," I'm over here Kiyoshi!" As she sat up Taki smirked as she listened to her brother mumble about being her babysitter. Kiyoshi unceremoniously dropped beside his little sister and playfully punched her in the shoulder. "What now, Kiyoshi?" Taki asked as she leaned back and stared into her brother's face._

_"Why are you hiding from your teacher, Taki?"_

_"Kiyoshi-san, please understand that this moment right now is as much of a rest as I will ever get." Taki replied as she continued to look at her brother._

_"You can rest when you are sleep," Kiyoshi replied._

_"Kiyoshi-san you don't understand. While you and the others go out and play, I have to train until the moon is up and then I have to wake up before the sun is up. I think that I deserve this day to my self," she said as she crossed her arms over her chest. Kiyoshi chuckled as he lay back down to watch the clouds float lazily in the sky. Taki smiled as a comfortable silence enveloped them and began to think. After a few minutes, Taki let out a long sigh._

_"What's wrong, Taki?"_

_"What does death look like, Kiyoshi-san?"_

_Kiyoshi leaned on both of his elbows and looked at Taki with confusion on his face. "Why are you thinking about death, Taki-san?"_

_"Father said that the life of a shonbi is intertwined with death and that as a shonbi we are death's servant."_

_"That still doesn't tell me why you want to know what death looks like," he stated as he turned his whole body towards his little sister. Taki got up off the ground and turned her body towards her brother. They stared at each other for a few moments before Kiyoshi let out a long sigh._

_"Do you really want to know what to know what death looks like, Taki-san?"_

_"Of course, I want to know!" Taki replied excitedly._

_Kiyoshi smiled and shook his head. "What you need to know is that death comes in several different forms." Kiyoshi placed both of his hands on each of Taki's cheeks, "Death does not care if one is a man or woman, an elder or an infant. Death can come in the form of the violent flash of a sword to the most peaceful sleep." Kiyoshi explained as his hands moved from Taki's cheeks to her slender neck and began to apply pressure._

_"What are you doing brother?" Taki managed to state as she tried to push him away._

_"You wanted to know what death looked like so I'm going to get you as close to death as possible," he whispered. Taki tried to remove his hands from her neck but he was to strong._

_"Kiyoshi…please-"_

_"Hush, it will all be over soon enough just try to relax."_

* * *

**Sorry to leave you all with a cliffhanger but I thought that it would be best. Again forgive me for not updating asap but my school work is a handful. I hoped you enjoyed. XD**


	8. Chapter 8

**"What are you doing brother?" Taki managed to state as she tried to push him away.**

**"You wanted to know what death looked like so I'm going to get you as close to death as possible," he whispered. Taki tried to remove his hands from her neck but he was to strong.**

**"Kiyoshi…please-"**

**"Hush, it will all be over soon enough just try to relax."**

* * *

"Mitsurugi-san, wake up please," Akina stated as she tried to arouse the samurai from his deep slumber. Mitsurugi lazily swatted at the young girl before turning his back to her murmuring in his sleep. Akina huffed at the man before she gathered the bucket of water near the fire and threw it all on Mitsurugi. Mitsurugi woke up and quickly seized his katana looking for danger. After realizing that the group was not in any danger, he narrowed his eyes at Akina and grunted in annoyance.

"This better be important," he stated as he continued to stare at the young girl.

"There is something wrong with Taki-san," she muttered as she looked over to the sleeping shonbi. Just as Mitsurugi was going to reply harshly, he quickly closed his mouth when Taki released a high-pitched shriek and began to claw in the air.

"How long has she been doing that?" he asked despairingly.

"For awhile now and she won't wake up no matter what I do," Akina explained as she moved back to Taki's side. Mitsurugi sighed and rubbed his hands over his face before he got up and walked over to Taki. He kneeled down beside her and shook her roughly. "I already did that, I also slapped her, pinched her, and even threw water on her," Akina stated with a sigh. Suddenly Taki began to claw at her neck her hands leaving small lines of blood following in their wake. Akina gasped as she tried to remove Taki's hands to prevent further damage, but failed. Mitsurugi pushed Akina away from Taki and quickly straddled Taki's hips pinning her hands over her head, effectively immobilizing her.

"Akina, I need you to find a way to wake her," Mitsurugi stated as he began to struggle with the young woman under him. As Akina began to reach for Taki, she felt a threatening presence amongst them. She looked around but saw no one before she turned to face Taki again. She closed her eyes and began to concentrate on the new presence. "Akina, what the fuck are you doing?"

Akina slowly opened her eyes, the once chocolate eyes were now flooded with red. "What kind of demon are you?" Mitsurugi questioned quietly. Akina disregarded him as her eyes slowly scanned over Taki's body starting from her feet all the way up and stopped at her neck. There wrapped around Taki's neck was a pair of sickly looking hands slowly taking Taki's breathes away. Akina took two more breathes as she reached out and placed her hands over the pair of invisible hands. She lifted her head towards the sky and began to chant in a foreign tongue and a blinding light enveloped the trio.

* * *

Leiko screamed as she to pull her hands from the pot, blisters covering her hands and arms. A bright light came from the pot before an unknown power caused the pot to rock and groan. Sensing danger, Kurokaji picked up the old woman and ran outside a few feet away from the hut. The pot began to shake and water boiled over, and then it exploded sending shards across the small hut. After a few moments, Kurokaji finally returned to the hut to see the pendant that he had gave Leiko floating above the spot where the pot was before it fell onto the ground.

"What the hell just happened?"

* * *

"I'm going to give you to the count of five to explain who or what you are before I kill you." Mitsurugi stated as he cradled Taki in his left arm as he pointed his katana to Akina. Akina gave Mitsurugi a quick glance before a mouthful of blood spilled from her lips.

_'Damn I think I over did it this time,'_ Akina thought as she wiped the blood from her mouth with the back of her hand.

_**"**__Ichi…ni…san…shi-" _One…two…three…four…

"Can you at least give me some time to rest?" Akina asked as she coughed up some more blood. When the girl finally finished she reached over to retrieve the canteen and began to drink the water. After she had her fill, she looked over to Mitsurugi and nodded.

"What are you?" Mitsurugi asked as he tried to lay Taki down on ground. The shonbi tighten her grip on his uwagi and a whimper escaped her lips. He groaned as he tried to pry her fingers from his clothes, but Taki would not release him. Akina sighed before she retrieved her blanket and got closer to the fire for extra warmth.

"I am the only survivor of the doomed Kai Clan of Mino. My father was the clan leader's fifth son and my mother was the youngest daughter of the healer. The night that my clan was destroyed my mother, who was pregnant with me at the time, escaped before the raiders could reach the house. My mother came to Lady Taka's village for refuge and Taka-san took her in," Akina explained as she began to lie down once again.

"That still doesn't explain how you have powers?"

"My mother died after I was five months old and her last request was for Taka-san to raise me as her own. Taka-san was the local healer and witch of her village, so she trained me in every form of sorcery."

"So you are a witch then?" Mitsurugi questioned as he leaned back against a tree while placing Taki in his lap and brought a blanket to cover them.

"I usually go by healer but if that is what you want to call me then yes," she replied with a yawn. A slow smile graced her lips as she stared at the two warriors. "You know Mitsurugi-san you two look great together as a couple," she teased.

"Stop speaking nonsense and go to sleep Akina-chan," he stated before he closed his eyes. Akina giggled as she turned to her side and closed her eyes faking sleep. _'It would be a dark day before I even consider this shonbi as my woman,'_ he thought as he drifted to sleep with his nose pressed into Taki's hair.

Akina carefully turned over on her bedroll to see that Mitsurugi had went to sleep. A smile tugged on her lips, and mischief danced in her eyes as she slowly rose from her mat and quickly tiptoed towards Yoshi and reached into her pack retrieving a small pouch and clutched in her fist as she walked to the fire. Akina reached into the pouch and pulled out a pinch of dried herbs. She lazily threw the herbs into fire causing it to rise higher into the night sky. Akina began to chant as she watched the smoke from the fire gradually made its way towards the warriors flowing into their senses. _'I hope this work,'_ Akina thought as she replaced the pouch and returned to her bedroll. "May Lady Benzaiten bless you new love and take both of your passion past the heavens." Akina stated with a smile as sleep finally took hold on her.

* * *

"Leiko-san can you please explain to me what just happened a few moments ago?" Kurokaji asked as he began to help the witch bandage her hands. Leiko winced as the bandage touched the burnt flesh on her hands and arms.

"What you just witness was a rejection spell."

"Where did it come from, the ninja?"

Leiko shook her head and slowly got up from her seat and walked to the place where the pendant rested. Leiko slowly bent down and retrieved the necklace staring at it; it was undamaged. A sigh escaped her lips before she placed the necklace in Kurokaji's palm wrapping his fingers around the pendant. "The pendant that you hold is the symbol of the Kai clan that was destroyed almost eighteen years ago. It was thought that no one survived but obviously that is not true," Leiko slowly looked up at the young man, "You said that the person wearing this was a female, am I correct?" Kurokaji nodded his head in reply. Leiko sighed before she walked over to a cloth-covered pot, removed the cloth, and dug deep into the herbs searching for something. Finally, she removed her hand from the pot pulling up a medium size bag and tossed it to the samurai. Kurokaji caught it with ease and pulled on the string to open the sack to empty its contents. Kurokaji gasped as his eyes went from the shard to the witch.

"It's a piece of-"

"The original Soul Edge, yes I know." Leiko stated impassively.

"You bitch! You knew I was on a mission to destroy this thing and yet you have kept this hidden from me." Kurokaji withdrew his katana from the hilt on his side and pointed the tip at the witch. Leiko sulked as she cautiously pushed the katana away from her face.

"Calm yourself young warrior I had to figure out if you could be trusted or not. Many warriors have traveled through here searching for that cursed sword calming to end it but inside had a heart black as night. When I first meet you, I realized that you were different from the other warriors who came through here. Even though you put up a mean facade, your heart was actually pure. That is why I am giving you the piece and a few other weapons in case you run into the witch again. Now, it is time for you to rest if you want to catch up with the three travelers," Kurokaji casted the old woman another glare before he sheathed his katana back into its hilt. He folded his arms over his chest as he walked back to other side of the hut and retrieved a bedroll. As Kurokaji lay down on the mat Leiko began to smoke on some herbs, blowing the smoke onto the young warrior's body as he slept peacefully through the night.

* * *

**Morning**

Taki groaned softly as light from the morning sun spilled softly over the tree. Taki shifted her position and felt something tightened around her waist. With that, Taki's eyes flew open and began to focus on her surroundings; suddenly she felt something pressed into her hair. Taki slowly looked up to see a sleeping samurai with a soft smirk on his lips. Taki gasped as she felt his arms tightened around her waist even more pulling her into his chest. She began to squirm within his lap trying to push away from him until Mitsurugi nuzzled his nose deeper into her hair. Mitsurugi moaned softly into her ear, "Taki…"

* * *

I would like to thank my friend kon-KON for being my editor and I would also like to thank Raikage101 and others for reviewing my story. I know I left a cliffhanger but I hope the next chapter will be worth the wait.

Lady Benzaiten is the Japanese goddess of love and passion.


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